Why Congress’s Silence On ‘Padmavati’ Is Terrifying A Section Of Muslims In Gujarat

A series of events last week, leading up to the postponement of a period drama about a Rajput queen, has polarized opinion and shifted the focus of prime time news from pressing matters such as an ongoing farmers’ agitation in the heart of the national capital, to a raging discussion on Hindu pride.

In a recent conversation with HuffPost India, Hanif Lakdawala, a doctor based in Ahmedabad, recalled the events with shock and disbelief, particularly the threats of violence made against Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone, the director and lead actress of the film Padmavati — based on an epic poem by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.

“How can people saying that they are going to chop off someone’s nose and head over a movie. Still, no one is coming forward to defend free speech or even to condemn such hateful statements. What is going on in this country?” he said.